009:031 while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
009:032 And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
009:033 in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
010:001 Brethren, the longing of my heart, and my prayer to God,
on behalf of my countrymen is for their salvation.
010:002 For I bear witness that they possess an enthusiasm for God,
but it is an unenlightened enthusiasm.
010:003 Ignorant of the righteousness which God provides and building their hopes upon a righteousness of their own, they have refused submission to God's righteousness.
010:004 For as a means of righteousness Christ is the termination
of Law to every believer.
010:005 Moses says that he whose actions conform to the righteousness
required by the Law shall live by that righteousness.
010:006 But the righteousness which is based on faith speaks in a different tone. "Say not in your heart," it declares, "`Who shall ascend to Heaven?'"—that is, to bring Christ down;
010:007 "nor `Who shall go down into the abyss?'"—that is, to bring Christ up again from the grave.